The New Orleans Health Department will measure sound levels this week in the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny.

The Sound Check program will function similar to the city's smoking ban. Health officials will begin with an education campaign, which will include warnings to business owners about the risks associated with prolonged exposure to excessive sound.

According to the health department, the sound level measurements will be a prelude to a revived effort to craft a viable sound ordinance. Crews will also respond to complaints of excessive sound and speak with music venues in the neighborhoods.

The goal of the effort is to establish a baseline for what normal sound levels are in New Orleans and how to incorporate them in a proposed sound ordinance.